Semester Recap

Here's a list of major topics from our course to help you consolidate ideas and identify topics for discussion in your final paper.

Critical Thinking Model

Purpose of Education

Time/Life/Energy Management (Time/Food Log, Time=Life, Priority Evaluation)

Library Workshops/Assignments (Critical Article review)

Technology (Libraries, Friedman, Berry, Communication vs. Conversation, text messaging, etc)

Learning Skills/Assessment (reading, notes, tests, strategies assignment)

Freakonomics (presentations, Morality v Economics, Incentives [3 types], Info Assymetry, Conv Wisdom, Correlation v Causation, Positive v Normative Analysis)

Gen Ed (philosophy, College v University, advising, scheduling, majors, career paper)

Engagement (QEP, efficacy, election, voting, electoral college, democracy, final paper)

Diversity (Maps, regionalism, Southerners, dialect, stereotypes, WKU demographics, Reed: My Tears…)

Environment and Experience

Health and Wellness (Sleep, diet, exercise, fast food, campus meal plans, sex/conventional wisdom, Schlosser: Fast Food Nation)

Harvard on Healthy Eating

Here is some great information on maintaining a healthy diet from the Harvard Public School of Health. It is concise and to the point, but covers a lot of ground.

Personality/Political Typology Test

MONDAY/WED CLASSES

Click this link, take the test (about 10 mins), then print your four-letter type and bring it to class with you on Monday.

Also, take the Pew Center's Political Typology test. Print your results and bring them to class.

TUES/THURS CLASSES

No class on Tuesday. You folks will have to miss out on this fun. I know you are bummed about that.

Week 7: Debate Watch! Lib Assignment Due

Debate Watch: Tues, Oct 7 from 6 pm-1o.30 pm IN DIDDLE ARENA. The actual debate begins at 8 pm. BE THERE!

M/W Classes: Library Assignment due by midnight on Fri, Oct 10.

T/R Classes: Library Assignment due by midnight on Thurs, Oct 9.

We will be finishing our unit on classroom strategies this week, and I will be giving you a short writing assignment on Wed/Thurs that will be due next week.

Assignments For Week 5 (9/22-9/26)

Monday: Freakonomics, Intro and Ch 1. Group 1 presentation.

Tues/Wed: Go to the On Reserve section of Cravens Library (2nd floor). Ask for the on reserve list for me (Basham, Cort). You need to read Thomas Friedman, The World Is Flat. It will be a photocopy of the first 17 pages of his book. Either read it there and take notes or make a copy to take with you. It cannot be checked out.

Also, please read Wendell Berry's essay, "Why I Am Not Going to Buy A Computer." What is the thesis/purpose of this short essay? Is Berry anti-technology?

Thurs: In UNIT 4 (the red "Thinking Your Way to Success" book), READ the essay by Trafton. Look over the piece on note-taking.

Assignments For Week 4 (9/15-9/19)

Monday: read 67-81. We will discuss these in class and practice the CT model.

Tuesday/Wednesday: CLASS MEETS IN THE KENTUCKY BUILDING!

Thursday: Group 1 presents on Freakonomics Intro and Ch 1. Everyone else should read the Intro/Ch 1 and be ready to discuss it's purpose, important questions raised in the chapter, information sources for their claims, and the key concepts from the chapter.

Next week is Constitution Week, which offers a ton of interesting opportunities for campus involvement. Next Sat, Sept 20 (not tomorrow) is also the first home football game vs Murray State.

Also, here is a link to a voter registration card (it's under the red text "VOTER REGISTRATION" on that webpage). If you want to vote in Warren County, you need to fill this out. I will collect them and get them to court house by the deadline (early October).

Week 2 Assignments (Sept 1-Sept 4)

No class on Monday (Labor Day).

For Tues/Wed: read Finster and Schank (pp 16-27 in the "Thinking" textbook). Practice at least the "SE" part of SEXI for each article. If you can do the whole SEXI, please do so.

I will also distribute the Time Management Assignment on Tues/Wed and it will be due the following week. Here is the assignment:

TIME MANAGEMENT SELF –EVALUATION (Due Tues, Sept 9/Wed Sept 10)

PICK TWO SCHOOL DAYS!

1. Account for every hour of every day for two days. In other words, keep track of where all of your time is spent.

2. Keep a food log for two days. Simply write down everything that you eat and drink at meals, snacks, classes, etc.

3. Type these into a Word file and then write a couple paragraphs evaluating strengths and areas that need improvement. Think about how these logs communicate priorities.

REMEMBER THE FRESHMAN ASSEMBLY ON TUES NIGHT IN DIDDLE ARENA AT 6 PM!